European Union: Institutions, Agriculture, and Fisheries Policies
The Institutions of the European Union
The EU comprises a series of supranational organizations, institutions that are above the state, and they are made up of representatives of these states.
- The European Council comprises the Heads of State or Government of Member States, accompanied by their respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It is in charge of defining the general guidelines for action and development.
- The Council of Ministers consists of representatives of the states that make up the EU. It is a meeting of the foreign ministers of several member countries. In the Cabinet, the most important decisions are made. Decisions are taken unanimously or by majority. The number of votes of each state depends on the population of the country.
- The European Parliament is elected by universal suffrage. Each state chooses its MEPs. These are organized into groups according to the parties they represent. The Parliament exercises the legislative function and can reform laws and approve budgets. It is organized into committees to work on specific issues.
- The Failure of Europe: This likely refers to the European Commission, which serves as the regulatory compliance executive. It guarantees European compliance. The Commission comprises the President and Commissioners. All Member States are elected for a term of four years.
- The Court of Justice serves as the judicial branch. It guarantees the fulfillment of laws. It is made up of a judge from each member country, which is renewed every five years.
- Ombudsman: Citizens of member states can address the Ombudsman.
- Other Institutions: The European Central Bank manages the euro, and the Court of Auditors is responsible for controlling the expenditure of the Union.
Agricultural and Fisheries Policy of the EU
Common Agricultural Policy
The EU has a lot of power in community agriculture to provide for the states without having to rely on other countries. This justifies large expenditures. This policy was to promote intensive agriculture and improve production. The EU encouraged the concentration of holdings that were too small and gave low agricultural returns. It offered farmers an attractive price for their products, so if they could not sell them on the market, the EU bought the surpluses (limited imports of food from outside the EU).
Objectives of the CAP
The CAP aims to achieve self-consumption within the EU. The WTO has resulted in a couple of improvements in agricultural production, and livestock. Food surpluses are difficult to place on the world market, where prices are much lower than those the EU offers to its farmers. New proposals have been made:
- Reduce the area devoted to crops and reduce the number of cattle.
- Convert a portion of farmland into forest areas or places of entertainment.
- Significantly reduce the guaranteed prices paid to EU farmers.
The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund is the tool that decides each state’s participation at the time of receiving financial aid for agriculture and livestock.
Community Fisheries Sector
The Common Fisheries Policy establishes exclusive fishing zones, the volume and size of catches, and the signing of agreements and treaties with states outside the EU.